


I Wasn't Expecting This Today

by LadyWinterlight



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Comics/Movie Crossover, Exploring unusual pairings, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, just for fun, light on plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:40:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3440720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWinterlight/pseuds/LadyWinterlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU story wherein after mastering her new powers, Skye bumps into the X-Men... and meets her soulmate. Vaguely futurefic - spoilers for AoS s2e10. </p><p>This story mixes comic, tv and movie canon. Which probably means it's not entirely true to any of them. I hope that doesn't stop you from enjoying it.</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own either X-Men or Agents of Shield. I'm just borrowing their characters for a little fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Soulmate Shorts AKA The Crackship Armada](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2658407) by [ozhawk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozhawk/pseuds/ozhawk). 



> A/N: This story, while not officially affiliated with Ozhawk’s Soulmates Shorts, is inspired by that work and a comment on one of those shorts about wanting to see Skye with more of the Quake powers. So for cuddliestcactus, AlekWalker and everyone who wanted to see more crossover ‘ships coming from the Soulmates universe… I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This is set an undefined amount of time after s2e10; I left it intentionally vague, and only made reference to the time it has taken for Skye to learn significant control of her powers. In addition, I realize the mission details are a little sketchy. This was never really about the mission. It’s a slow build.
> 
> As always, thanks to Ozhawk for beta reading and providing comments before I posted. It’s a better story with her help. The photo manip in this chapter is also hers. If anyone is inspired to make other images, by all means let me know and I will happily share them.

* * *

 

****

  _Quake and Colossus. Aren't they hot together?_

* * *

 

**Chapter 1**

“Quake, report,” Mack’s voice came over the comms. “What’s going on in there?”

“I have no idea. Standby.” Skye crept to the door of the Hydra lab the team had managed to sneak her into and listened intently, but she heard nothing. She was currently deep within the complex, alone because she was the only one currently undetectable to whatever – or whoever – was scanning the base for unknown minds.

Letting her search run on its own, Skye took a few minutes to tap into internal security. “Oh, shit. Why are the X-Men trying to bust into this place?”

“The X-Men? Hell,” Mack cursed over comms. “I’ll get Coulson onto it.”

“Nevermind. I know why. I bet some of the people in holding cells in the labs are mutants.” Skye sighed as her initial data search yielded its results. “Beginning data transmission. It’ll wipe itself when it’s done. I’m going to go get those people out of here.”

“You can’t do that on your own, Quake!” But Mack knew his protest fell on deaf ears. Skye was pissed; after everything Hydra had put herself and her family – both SHIELD and otherwise – through, she wasn’t about to leave anyone in the hands of Hydra’s whack-job scientists.

“The lab’s not far,” Skye said firmly. “I’ll be in and out before they know what hit them.”

* * *

Skye crept along the hallway of the research division. So far, she hadn’t triggered any additional alarms; the bulk of security here was concentrated at the various entrances under attack. After his initial protest, Mack had used her link to security to monitor it for her. There were a pair of unconscious guards at the facility entrance, but so far that was it. That was about to change, though.

“Up ahead on your right,” Mack’s voice came quietly over the comms. “That’s your lab.”

“Got it,” Skye whispered. “Thanks, Mack. See you on the flip side.”

“Be careful, girl.”

Skye grinned.

A solid kick had the door to the lab flying open. Skye rolled in and shot the first guard as she oriented herself to the earlier camera view. The prisoners were on the far end, in windowed cells. A dozen Hydra scientists scattered around the room. And four more guards at various points.

She saw the guards reaching for their weapons, but Skye threw out her hands abruptly. A burst of vibration threw everyone off their feet. A second wave, set to a particular frequency, caused unconsciousness in everyone within thirty feet of her. One guard managed to hide himself behind a thick metal desk, but as soon as he rose up to target her she shot him first.

Looking around to make sure all targets were accounted for, Skye crossed swiftly to the cells. Most of them hummed with energy; either electricity or some sort of shielding. She pulled out her tablet and quickly found the controls for the cells; shorting out the energy fields was inelegant, but it worked, and a moment later she had the electronic locks disengaged as well.

As the doors slid open, Skye moved to the first of them while calling out, “Come on out, please. Look, I know you don’t know me, but I just want to get you out of here. The X-Men are outside as we speak; I just got here a little faster.”

A slight young woman with bright pink hair was the first to emerge. She looked at Skye, her eyes full of distrust. She was joined by another teen of obvious Asian descent, and the two girls shared a glance. “I can’t sense her, Megan,” the young Asian girl said quietly.

“Telepath?” Skye asked with an arched brow. “They can’t sense me. I don’t know why, but that’s why I came.”

The girl shook her head but refused to answer otherwise. Skye just shrugged and watched as a blurry form zipped from one cell to another. A moment later, a pair of black-haired teens who looked enough alike to be siblings joined the group.

“She’s let us out, so she can’t be all bad, Shan,” said the young man with a mild accent that Skye couldn’t place. “If she can get us out of here, we can all split, yea?”

“It’s fine,” Skye agreed. “If you want to take off once we’re out, that’s your choice. But for now, we’re better off sticking together.”

The pink-haired girl nodded. “I’ll be glad to see the last of this place.”

“You and me both,” Skye agreed as she led the way out of the lab. As they emerged into the hallway, Skye could hear gunshots and a low rumbling noise from the way she’d come in. “Damn. Mack, find me another exit?” she said into her comm.

“Down the hall, make a left, and take the stairs down a flight. There’s an emergency door,” Mack’s reply came after a few tense moments.

Skye followed directions, running down the hall. She noticed that the one called Shan was having a hard time keeping up, though the pair she’d identified as siblings seemed to be helping her along as best they could. They’d just made it to the stairway when gunshots echoed down the hall. “Quick, down the stairs. Next floor down should have an exit. Go!” Skye braced herself in the doorway, firing back down the hall. She swore as she ran out of bullets and ejected the cartridge. She saw a blur move past her, felt the wind of someone’s quick passage, and a second later there was a bright burst of light in the hall. Skye turned her head away and slammed the new clip into her gun as the young woman reappeared in front of her.

“That should buy some time,” she said in a soft accent that matched her brother’s.

Skye nodded and smiled. “Good job. Let’s go.”

The girl nodded. “Call me Jeanne,” she said as the two darted down the stairs. The group slammed through the emergency exit and out into the rain. Skye swore softly to herself, but she knew that the rain would make it harder for them to be spotted. It was probably the work of the X-Men anyway. She led her little cluster of teens towards the nearest gate in the compound wall. They made it most of the way uneventfully, but when they got close Skye could hear the sounds of fighting ahead. She peeked around the corner of a building and then pulled back quickly.

“It’s a melee out there,” she told the teens. “Use your best judgment, I guess. If you want to stick with me until we’re clear I don’t mind. But I won’t keep you with me if you want to go.”

“I’ll go get help,” Jeanne said and zipped off before anyone could stop her – literally, the girl moved so fast that Skye couldn’t even see her go. Her brother looked cross but didn’t say anything. He just took a position in front of Shan and watched their surroundings.

Skye peeked around the building again and frowned. Concentrating on her control, she reached out with her power to the Hydra soldiers shooting at the X-Men. In order to avoid hitting everyone in range, she had to knock them out one at a time. She smiled when the first one crumpled to the ground. Then a second.

A short time later, her efforts combined with those of the X-Men cleared the area of Hydra soldiers. “Is it safe?” Megan whispered from behind Skye.

“I think so. Let’s get you back to your people, hmm?” Skye asked and the girl nodded. She shyly slipped her hand into Skye’s as the others walked just behind them. They turned the corner just as a small group assembled in the clear area just inside the gate. Skye studied them as she approached; a tall woman with long, red hair stood beside a man – the biggest man Skye had ever seen, who was apparently made of metal. A third person joined them, a young man who Skye thought might have been throwing ice at the soldiers. She was grateful for the presence of the kids around her, otherwise Skye would never have dared approach them.

The sight of the teens made the trio ahead relax, though. The woman even smiled. “Thank goodness you’re safe,” she said. Piercing green eyes met Skye’s dark ones and the other woman’s smile faltered. “Who are you?”

“Agent Skye, of SHIELD,” Skye replied. “Though some call me Quake.”

“Are you an X?” the woman asked. Then she made a face at herself. “My apologies. I’m Jean. This is Bobby and Piotr. Thank you for helping our students.”

Skye nodded and smiled. “I was already here when your people started to attack,” she explained casually. “When I realized the scientists had hostages… I couldn’t not help.”

Bobby nodded his head politely at Skye, accepting her words, but Piotr gave a shrug and allowed his skin to return to human normal before reaching out a large hand towards her. “It’s a pleasure to meet a woman who would risk herself in the cause of another.”

Skye reached out automatically to return his handshake as his words registered. Her eyes went wide and she stared up – and up, and up – at the man called Piotr. The man who had just spoken her soulmate words. “Believe me,” she finally managed to find her voice. “Knowing what they would go through, I couldn’t have left them there any longer than it took to get them out.”

Piotr’s eyes widened as well. Jean and the teens watched them, confused, but Piotr could only stare at the tiny woman who was his soulmate. He slowly smiled and used his grip on her hand to very gently tug her closer.

Skye closed the distance between them and smiled before returning her attention to Jean. “No, I’m not an X. I’m something else. But I don’t really think this is the place to discuss it.”

“Shit, look out!” Bobby yelled suddenly. Piotr grabbed Skye and held her against his chest as his skin armored up again just as gunfire sounded from the top of a nearby building. Jean threw up a shield around herself and the kids as Bobby ducked behind a nearby car.

Bullets pinged off Piotr’s armor as Skye squirmed around in his grasp until she could see the building. She flung up a hand and her vibrations followed, knocking the men off their feet. As the rain of bullets stopped, Skye sent out another burst towards the rooftop that would knock out anyone still conscious up there. “I think we’d better vacate the premises before any more show up,” Skye said, a little out of breath. Her head was starting to ache from focusing her powers, but she didn’t have time for that now.

“Everyone alright?” Piotr asked as he set Skye on her feet. A chorus of “yes” and “fine” answered him and Jean began ushering everyone towards the open gates.

“Quake, report,” she heard over her comms; she realized she’d been ignoring her radio for the last several minutes when she recognized Coulson’s voice. “Damnit! Skye, answer me!”

“Sorry, sir. I’m here and I’m fine. I was talking with a couple of the X-Men; the teens are safe,” Skye reported crisply. “Did you get the data?”

“We’ve got it. What’s taking you so long?”

“Well, that’s the thing,” she began. She looked at Piotr, then at the others as they moved swiftly away from the Hydra compound and into the woods that hid the place. “I kinda met my soulmate.”

There was a pause over the radio. “You’re telling me that your soulmate is an X-Man?” Coulson’s voice sounded strained.

“Yeah,” Skye answered quietly, aware of the startled expressions around her as well. “AC…”

“Morse and Mack will wait two hours for you to make it to extraction,” Coulson said crisply. “If you decide you’re going elsewhere, let us know.”

Skye sighed. “I don’t even know if that’s an option. I’ll get back to you.”

“Are you alright?” Piotr asked gently, his voice a low rumble that Skye found soothing.

“Yeah. I’ve been given two hours to get to my pick-up or…”

“Or?” Jean spoke up from just ahead. They emerged from the trees into a clearing, where Skye caught sight of a large plane – a Blackbird, or at least that’s what it looked like to her.

“Or to tell them if I have another option.” Skye looked from Piotr back to Jean. “I know none of us were intending this to happen. I certainly wasn’t.” She watched them exchange a long look and sighed. “It’s alright. I’ll go back to my team and leave you in peace.”

“Wait,” Piotr said quietly as Jean moved towards the plane. “I do not want to lose you. Please.”

“I don’t want to cause problems with your team, though,” Skye answered him. “Or mine, for that matter.” She smiled at him, resigned. She reached into her pocket and handed him a small card. “Here. Message me when things are settled; this doesn’t have to be the end.”

Piotr took the card and smiled. He scooped Skye up into his arms and kissed her, long and deep. Skye moaned and kissed him back, letting him feel her longing for just a moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and just pressed close for as long as she dared.

When he set her down again, Skye grinned up at him. “You’d better get used to doing that. Otherwise I might have to climb you like a tree,” she teased.

Piotr laughed. “I assure you, I will never mind holding you close.”

“I’ll remember that.” Skye smiled at Piotr one last time before turning away from the plane. She began to walk quickly away and had to wipe away a tear when she heard the plane behind her take off. With a sigh, she slowed down; she had two hours to make the long walk back to the Quinjet. She was afraid she would need every minute of that time to come to terms with what she had just done.

 

* * *

 

“Are you crazy?” Bobbi asked when she saw Skye walk up the ramp onto the Quinjet. “You met your soulmate, and walked away?”

“I didn’t walk away. He has my contact information. But I don’t think anyone’s prepared for me to bring him back to base,” Skye said with a sigh. “And his team didn’t seem terribly happy to have me around. So I told him to contact me when things settle a bit.” She flopped into a seat and rubbed her eyes.

Bobbi’s expression softened. “You overdid it, didn’t you?” she asked gently. “Here.” She handed Skye a bottle of painkillers. “We’ve got four hours until we get back. Strap in and rest for a bit, if you can.”

“I will,” Skye said. She took the bottle of water that Mack held out to her silently and downed the pills before strapping in. Mack settled in beside Skye as Bobbi went to the cockpit; Skye smiled and leaned against his solid strength when he offered a supportive hug.

“It’ll work out, girl,” he told her quietly.

“I hope so, Mack. I really do.”

 

* * *

TBC...

 

A quick ending note: The teens Skye rescued are in fact Marvel Characters. I deliberately chose more obscure characters because I don't know enough about them in canon to be sure I could match their personalities. Megan is Pixie (Megan Gwynn). Shan is Karma (Xi'an "Shan" Coy Manh). The twins are Aurora and Northstar (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier and Jean-Paul Beaubier). 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our couple meets again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to all the lovely people who have commented, bookmarked or left kudos. I appreciate the support!

** **

_Another lovely pic of our soulmates, courtesy of Ozhawk. According to Oz, this is in correct proportion - he's really that huge._

* * *

 

** Chapter 2 **

It only took a few days for Piotr to send Skye a message. Her laptop beeped the notification that she had a personal email. She was working in her tiny office at the time; Coulson had ordered everyone to keep quiet on the subject of her soulmate for the time being. When he had a better idea of how to handle things, he’d let them tell the others. Skye didn’t like it, but she didn’t argue.

Instead she got to work analyzing the data they’d hijacked from her Hydra raid. And in her spare time, she went into research mode, regarding one Piotr of the X-Men.

Piotr Rasputin came up on the register for Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters from about ten years ago. Going from there, she searched public records and anything else she could get into easily. There wasn’t much, unfortunately. Skye figured she’d probably be better off waiting to see if there was a need to hack the school’s database. She knew Coulson generally preferred to keep out of the way of the X-Men – though whether that was from professional courtesy or something else, she wasn’t sure.

Skye tried diligently to finish her project before checking her personal message, but found she couldn’t concentrate. With a sigh, she gave in and called up her email. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t what she received.

_Skye,_

_The Professor has graciously allowed me to invite you to the Xavier Institute to visit. I do hope that you will agree to come. I would like the chance to get to know my soulmate. I know we have barely met, but I have missed you these past few days. Please say you will come._

_Respectfully,_

_Piotr Rasputin._

There was an address at the bottom of the email. Skye stared at it, wide-eyed, for several minutes. Then she took a deep breath and headed down the hall to Coulson’s office. She couldn’t answer until she knew what Coulson had to say. She paused in the doorway and knocked, though Coulson’s door was open.

“Skye,” Coulson said with a smile. “Come on in.” She smiled back and moved into the room, closing the door behind herself. “What can I do for you?” Coulson asked while Skye sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“I got an email a little while ago,” Skye began, her tone hesitant. “I’ve been invited to visit the Xavier Institute. To see my soulmate.”

Coulson nodded, as if that’s what he’d expected to hear. “Do you want to go?”

“Unless you know a reason why I shouldn’t… yeah, AC, I kinda do. I know this may not be the best time, but…”

Coulson shook his head. “In our line of work, there’s never a good time.” He looked at Skye, his expression softening. “Go anyway. If it’s really what you want, I don’t want you to miss your chance.”

Skye threw herself out of the chair and into Coulson’s arms. “Thanks, AC,” she whispered. “Your support means everything to me.”

“I know,” he murmured back, holding her gently in a paternal hug. “Do you need a ride to New York?”

“How did? Nevermind.” Skye shook her head. “Yes, please. I’ll take my phone and my laptop, so if you need anything just call.”

“I know you can work from anywhere, Skye. Take whatever time you need. Just be in touch.”

“I promise.”

Coulson nodded. “I’ll talk to May; either she or Bobbi can take you to the nearest airport tomorrow.”

“I should tell FitzSimmons where I’m going. Maybe?”

“It’s fine.” Coulson smiled as he watched Skye dart out of the room.

Skye’s first stop was back to her office. She read Piotr’s email again and smiled as she hit the reply.

_Piotr,_

_Thank you and the Professor both for inviting me. Is tomorrow too soon? I can be on a plane in the morning if it’s alright._

_I miss you too._

_Skye_

She sent off the email, set her tablet to monitor her personal email account and then shut down the laptop so she could pack it. Then she headed down to the labs so she could talk to Fitz and Simmons. She found Fitz first.

“Hey Fitz,” she greeted him, leaning against his desk.

“Hey Skye. How are you?”

“I’m good. I’m going out of town for a bit, though.”

Fitz nodded. “Another mission?”

Skye shook her head. “No, it’s personal. I kinda met my soulmate during the last mission,” she told him quietly. He stared at her, wide-eyed. “There wasn’t time to get a chance to know him at the time, but he’s invited me up to upstate New York to visit and Coulson said I could go.”

Fitz stared at her for a moment longer, then grinned. He pulled her close and hugged her tight. “I’m happy for you, Skye. You’ve been waiting a long time.” He pulled back to look at her. “You’re coming back, though, right?”

“That’s the plan,” she agreed cheerfully.

“What’s the plan?” Skye turned to smile at Simmons as the other woman approached.

“To come back after my trip to New York to see my soulmate,” Skye answered.

“Your WHAT?” Jemma’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You met your soulmate? When? Where?”

Skye laughed. “Calm down, Jemma, or I won’t be able to answer.”

“Go be girly,” Fitz told them, shooing them out of the lab. “Talk. Pack. Whatever. Just not here.”

They laughed at him and Skye dragged Jemma to her room so they could talk while Skye packed. While listening to the story of Skye’s very short first meeting with her soulmate, Jemma helped Skye pick out clothes.

“Really, Skye, you can’t just take jeans,” Jemma insisted. “This is your _soulmate_. What if he wants to take you out somewhere? I’m not saying to pack formalwear, but a skirt or dress couldn’t hurt.”

“Alright, fine,” Skye gave in. She let Jemma rifle through her closet, but Skye herself was distracted by a message ping from her tablet. She scooped it up and smiled when she saw the short message.

_Tomorrow is perfect. Shall I meet you at the airport?_

_Piotr_

“What?” Jemma asked curiously.

“I just got confirmation that tomorrow works,” Skye answered absently as she tapped out a reply.

_I won’t be on a commercial flight, so I’m not sure where we’ll be landing. It’s okay, I don’t mind meeting you at the school._

_Skye_

“Oh, Skye, he sounds really sweet,” Jemma cooed, reading over her shoulder.

"He seemed to be when I met him," Skye answered hesitantly. "I don't know, Jems…  I'm kind of afraid. But I feel like if I let this pass by, I could regret it forever."

"You probably would. Trust me on this one, honey, you've got to at least give it a try." Jemma wrapped an arm around Skye. "I know you've had some bad experiences, but this is your soulmate. The one person in the world who should be able to see beyond all that."

Skye smiled. "Thanks, Jemma. I'll give it a try, okay? That's kind of the idea, after all."

"Good. And I want to hear all about it when you get back."

"You've got it," Skye promised. 

* * *

 

By noon the next day, the Bus was landing at a small airfield some thirty miles from the Xavier Institute. Coulson and May had discussed it and agreed to take the Bus so Skye could have one of the SHIELD vehicles rather than needing to call a cab or depend on someone else to drive her anywhere. It also gave her a convenient out if things didn't go smoothly.

Skye was tossing her bag into the passenger seat of the black SUV when May came down. The older woman hit the button to lower the ramp on her way over to Skye.

"Thanks for the ride, May," Skye said with a nervous smile. "I appreciate it. And that you got Coulson to let me take the SUV, too."

"You're welcome," May answered with a small smile. "I don't want you stranded if things get crazy."

"Because somehow they always do," Skye agreed wryly. "I'm glad to have the independence."

"You be careful. And call if you need us."

"I promise." Skye gave May a hug and a smile before opening the car door.

"And Skye," May paused until Skye met her eyes. "Remember that you're strong and beautiful. You don't _need_ this. But it's okay to want it."

Skye smiled, a true smile that lit up her eyes. She nodded her agreement and started the car. May stepped back and watched as Skye drove off before closing up the ramp and heading back to the cockpit. 

* * *

 

"Thank goodness for GPS," Skye muttered to herself as she followed the small, winding road through the trees. According to the GPS map, the school should be at the end of it. Without the satellite feed she would have been lost halfway there. But at least the trip was almost over.

Her stomach was full of butterflies as she approached the school gates. She hadn't been able to tell Piotr when to expect her, only that she'd be there sometime after noon. It was almost 1:30, and she hoped she wouldn't be interrupting anyone. She let the vehicle roll to a stop at the gate and caught sight of a small, modern intercom against the wall. Nervously, she pushed the button.

"Yes?" said a pleasant female voice.

"My name is Skye; I'm here to see Piotr?"

"Of course; we were expecting you," the woman said. The gates slowly began to open. "Just follow the road; you can park in one of the spaces near the garage."

"Thank you." Skye waited until the gates were fully open, then slowly drove up the road. She kept her speed down, on the lookout for kids. This was a school, after all.

When she reached the parking area, she spotted a handful of people. She knew immediately that one of them was her soulmate; he stood quite a bit taller than everyone else around. The second person to catch her attention was an older man in what looked like a high-tech wheelchair. Standing slightly behind them both was a woman; it took Skye a second look to realize that the woman was Jean, though the long fall of very red hair should have probably been the giveaway.

Skye parked the vehicle and slid out of the car. She was glad she'd let Jemma talk her into wearing black slacks and a nice blouse; Jean looked like she had just stepped out of a designer store, and the gentleman in the wheelchair wore a suit. Her feet had barely hit the ground before Piotr moved to the car to join her. He took her hand gently, and she tipped her head back to look up at him. His eyes were gentle and his voice calmly happy when he spoke. "I am so glad you were able to come. Thank you."

"Thank you for the invitation," Skye replied with a smile. "I'm glad to have a chance to get to know you; hopefully without a crisis this time."

"Of course," he agreed readily. "Come, please. I wish you to meet the Professor."

Skye nodded and let him close the car door as he escorted her away from it. He led her over towards Jean and the older gentleman, where they waited on the sidewalk that led to the school.

"Skye, this is Professor Xavier. Professor, this is Agent Skye…" Piotr paused, then looked to Skye. "My apologies, I'm afraid I do not know your surname."

Skye smiled and shook her head. "That's because I don't have one," Skye answered, her tone reassuring. "I can't give you a last name that I don't have."

"But surely everyone has a family name, Miss Skye?" The Professor's voice was smooth, cultured, and with a light accent. His expression was pleasant, though he looked at her with the eyes of one presented with a puzzle.

"I suppose most people do, but I'm an orphan," Skye explained, her voice quiet and a little subdued. "I only recently found out who my parents were; my mother is dead and my father isn't even human. Skye is the name I gave myself, and my family is SHIELD."

"I understand," the Professor assured her. "I am Charles Xavier, but as most of the people here either are or were my students they mostly just call me Professor. Please, do come inside," he invited pleasantly. "I'm sure you remember Jean Grey?"

"Of course," Skye answered. "It's nice to see you again."

"We're all glad you came," Jean answered as they followed the Professor inside. Piotr stayed close, Skye's small hand folded gently into his much larger one. "Piotr has been moping ever since the last mission."

Piotr chuckled. "No more than you do when Scott goes away."

"Indeed," the Professor commented dryly as he led them into a sitting room. "Would you like something to drink, Miss Skye?"

"Just Skye, please, Professor," she said, looking around the old building. The place was beautiful, with its hardwood floors, gleaming paneling and lots of windows. "But sure, whatever is readily available."

As they spoke, a young woman, Skye thought she was probably in her late teens, arrived with a cart containing a tea set as well as a few bottles of water. "Ah, thank you, Katherine."

"You're welcome Professor," she responded. She parked the cart off to the side and then skipped out of the room again. Jean busied herself pouring tea as the Professor invited Skye to sit, parking his chair beside a small couch.

"So, Skye, will you tell us a bit about yourself?" he asked pleasantly.

"Um, sure," she agreed slowly.

"Would you like some tea, Skye?" Jean asked gently. Skye nodded and the older woman smiled. "How do you take it?"

"Light sugar, no cream, please," Skye answered easily; living with Jemma and Fitz meant that she knew exactly how she preferred her tea.

Jean tossed a bottle of water to Piotr and then returned with two cups of tea, one of which she handed to Skye. They all settled, Piotr right beside Skye, as Skye began to speak. "I guess I'm not really sure what you want to know. As I told you, I was an orphan. I moved around constantly, never staying with any one family for more than a few months. So I was pretty root-less. I was a hacktivist for a while, which is how I got on SHIELD's radar. They picked me up, wound up hiring me as a consultant, and eventually I became an agent."

"I see," the Professor said, clearly giving her his full attention. "And I hear that you have a power, but that you don't carry the X-gene?" he asked gently. "But you said your father isn't human?"

Skye sipped her tea as she collected her thoughts. "No, I don't carry the X-gene. I was just a normal person, as far as I knew, up until a year or so ago. It turns out that my mother had some sort of strange power, and my father isn't human at all… though I don't know what he actually is. I do know that he's a murderer who can't control his temper, and so I want nothing to do with him." She wasn't entirely sure why she was sharing so much with the Professor. He was remarkably easy to talk to, and neither his eyes nor his expression betrayed any hint of judgment. He was just listening. But it was strange.

"That's understandable," Jean agreed. "Do you know if either of your parents were mutants?"

Skye shook her head. "No, but I don't think so." She sighed. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I'll tell you anyway. I was found in China as a baby by a SHIELD team tracking an object of unknown origin. No one knew how or why, but an entire village had been wiped out after I passed through it. If I had to guess, Cal – the man who calls himself my father – had found my mother dead and was after whomever took me. But the SHIELD team got to me first, and discovered that I _was_ the unknown object. I wound up being placed in foster care and I moved around a lot, never really in one place for more than a few months. After the events in Washington where we discovered Hydra had infiltrated SHIELD, my team went underground to try to rebuild. Hydra was trying to get another powerful artifact of alien origin, which we called the Obelisk and Cal said was called the Diviner. I could touch it without harm, but most people who touched it got turned to stone. Anyway, to make a really long story somewhat shorter, we followed a map and found an alien city buried under San Juan, Puerto Rico. There's a temple there, and following some impulse that I really didn't understand I went there with the Diviner. It caused… some kind of metamorphosis in me. When I left the temple, I had gained my power."

"Fascinating," the Professor murmured. "Piotr and Jean described your power as a sort of shock wave?"

Skye shook her head. "I can see how they might think so, but that's not quite correct. I can create vibrations. Initially they manifested as earthquakes, and I'd cause small tremors when I lost my temper. Time and practice has allowed me to hone my control; I can still cause earthquakes. But I can also vibrate just about anything else. And I can control the frequencies to create something that will knock a person unconscious as well. Or shatter glass, or fracture stone, or whatever else."

"That sounds very powerful," Piotr said thoughtfully. "Though I can see how it could get you injured as well."

Skye laughed. "I seem to be mostly immune to the effects of my own power, though it's true that if I toppled a building I was standing on top of, I would also fall."

"Then we must not let that happen," Piotr said with a smile. "Or if you must fall, I will be there to catch you."

"I would appreciate that," Skye answered gently. "So since I've told you guys all about my powers, will you tell me about yours?"

"You have seen mine," Piotr told her. "I can turn my skin into something that is not steel, but something very close. We have not yet found anything that can harm me when in that form; my strength and endurance increase and I do not need to breathe."

"Sounds useful," Skye answered easily. "As I recall, it kept me from getting shot." Skye transferred her gaze to Jean. "You did something that made some sort of shield, as I recall?"

Jean nodded. "I'm a highly skilled telekinetic; I move things with my mind. I also have a low-grade telepathic ability; I don't have a long range, but I can sense the presence of others and I can speak mentally to someone I have a strong familiarity with."

"Ahh. That's why I startled you," Skye recalled thoughtfully. "We haven't been able to figure out how or why, but apparently I'm shielded in some way against psychics. I don't know if it's because I'm not human or if it's something that came with my powers, though."

"I do sense your presence," the Professor said quietly. "Though it is unusual, and I may not have noticed you in a crowd. It would seem that either your defenses can be lowered when you are unguarded, or else that time and proximity play a factor."

"Then you're..?"

"A telepath, yes. One with a great deal of skill and power, though I do not use it lightly." The Professor smiled. "Rest assured, your mental privacy is safe. Even if I were willing to spend the time and effort to break through your defenses, I would only do so with the greatest need. I do use it at times to communicate with my teams, but not intrusively."

Skye shrugged and nodded. "It wouldn't be much more intrusive that way than, say, a cell phone getting text messages. As long as you're not planning to pull secrets out of my head, I think I can live with knowing you could if you wanted to try."

"Thank you, Skye. You're a very understanding young woman."

"It's not my place to judge. What difference does it make whether a person has powers or not? Two of my team – the closest thing I have to family – are full on geniuses. They got that, I got powers, some people are too pretty for words and others are great artists." Skye shrugged philosophically. "I don't know if we'll ever understand the how's, let alone the why's."

"I would tend to agree with you; that is a mindset we are teaching to the students here along with their powers. I think that we could be great friends, Skye," the Professor said, his tone serious but his expression pleased.

She blushed but nodded. "Thank you. I hope so too."

"Well, I think we've taken up enough of your time," the professor said genially. "Piotr, will you show our guest to her room? I'm sure she'd like to get settled, and then the two of you can take your time getting to know one another beyond your powers."

"Of course, Professor," Piotr agreed, standing. He offered his hand to Skye, and she took it readily as she got to her feet.

"Thank you again for inviting me to visit," Skye said to the Professor before they left. He smiled in return and watched as Piotr left with their guest.

* * *

TBC...

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please remember that while their personal history is based on canon information, I'm working off summaries. There may be some discrepancies with what you know, and I'm okay with that.
> 
> I don't have another picture to share. But the first two are still in their respective chapters!

** Chapter 3 **

"My bags are still in the car," Skye said softly as they headed back down the hall towards the entrance.

"We will get them," Piotr assured her. "This building has the offices and classrooms; the east wing is the boys' dorm and the west wing is the girls'. But there is a guest house across the parking lot; we use it for the occasional guest teacher or parents who come to visit. It is empty now, and the Professor suggested that you might prefer to stay there. It is out of the way of the students, and you will not be wakened early by the class bells."

"Sounds perfect," Skye said easily. "I'm not overly particular. I'm currently living in residence quarters at our primary base, but our team lived on a plane for a while."

"You sound like you have lived a very interesting life," Piotr commented quietly as he paused beside Skye's SUV. She unlocked the door and pulled out a duffel bag and her laptop case. She let him take the bag for her when he offered and slung the laptop easily over her shoulder.

"I suppose I have, at least recently," she agreed slowly. "Though before joining SHIELD… there's not much good to tell."

"I would still like to hear it, if you are willing." Piotr smiled a little, taking her hand and leading her across the parking lot towards the guest house.

"Perhaps some of it," Skye agreed. "I'd like to hear more about you, though. All I know about you are your powers and that you have an interesting accent."

Piotr nodded. “I understand, and I will tell you my tale as well.” He led her into another large, old building set back from the parking lot and nestled into a small grove of trees. The door opened into a large, open living room with several couches and chairs. He led her through the room to a doorway, which opened into a large, very modern kitchen. “This kitchen is fully stocked, if you prefer to prepare your own meals. You are also welcome to join everyone in the school for meals, if you wish,” he explained.

Skye smiled. “I appreciate that. I’d imagine I probably sleep later than a school would have breakfast. But for the rest… well, we’ll see what happens? I wouldn’t mind sharing meals with your friends if you want me to.”

Piotr nodded with a smile. “I am happy to hear it.” He led her through another door in the kitchen that led to a hall and a stairway going up. “This hall has all the guest suites. Each has a small sitting room, a bathroom and one or two bedrooms. Sometimes we have families, including siblings, that visit so we try to accommodate them.”

“That makes sense. I don’t need anything large, though.” Skye smiled as he nodded and led her down towards the front of the building. He chose a door on the left; as she turned to follow him, she noted another staircase and glimpsed the front door. The suite was nice; open and airy, decorated with natural wood tones and varied shades of green. “This is nice. Thank you,” she said as she set her laptop bag down on the coffee table.

Piotr set her bag down beside the bedroom door and turned to face her. “Did you want some time alone? I’m sure you had a long trip…”

Skye shook her head and moved over to stand beside him, drawn to him. “No… don’t go, please?” She looked up at him, then deliberately moved into his personal space and leaned lightly against his solid form. “I know we’re both being affected by the soulbond. We keep touching, staying close, without really thinking about it. And I don’t mind that it’s pulling us together, I really don’t. I just… I want to know you better. I want to know who I’m bound to, and not just what. Does that make any sense?”

Piotr studied her as she spoke, seeing old hurts lingering beneath the honest truth of her words. He did not know the source of her pain, but he knew without a doubt that he had no wish to add to it. “It makes perfect sense,” he agreed gently. “Will you sit with me? I will tell you about myself, if you like.” He knew that he could just scoop her up and take her to the couch with him, and that because of the soulbond she probably wouldn’t even object. But he preferred to ask; he agreed that they should take things slower. The bond between them would draw them together; he could see that it already was, now that she pointed it out. But there was no need to rush.

She nodded and took his hand as they moved to the couch. She sat down at one end, giving him the choice of how close to sit and smiled when he sat right next to her, almost but not quite touching. Their fingers laced together gently and she looked up at him to watch his face while he spoke.

“I grew up on a farm in Russia,” Piotr began. “When I was young, I was an ordinary kid. I had an older brother and a younger sister. Mikhail, my brother, moved away from the farm when he grew up and became a Cosmonaut, but I was happy on the farm. I was thirteen or fourteen when I hit a growth spurt; I grew very large and very strong, and I was pleased because it would make the farm work easier. I could help my family. I did not realize until much later that I had become stronger than many men who trained specifically for building muscles. And I also did not know at the time that I could change my skin.”

Skye looked thoughtful. “Is it true, then, that some mutants come into their powers at puberty?” she asked curiously.

“Many do,” Piotr agreed. “Though some are born with their powers, and some are born with physical differences that are noticed right away. One of our team, Nightcrawler, is dark blue and has a long tail; I understand he was born that way.”

Skye nodded. “That must have been hard for him. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It is fine,” Piotr replied with a small smile. “Things continued on in much the same way for many years. If anyone in the community thought that my strength was unusual, no one minded because it made everyone’s work easier. But one day, things changed. A man lost control of a tractor and it was headed right for my sister. I saw that she could not get out of the way in time and I ran to place myself in front of her. I did not know if I could stop the tractor, but I had to try. Just as it hit my hands, my skin changed as you have seen. I dug in my feet and managed to stop the machine before it could hit anyone else.”

“But the way people viewed you changed?” Skye asked sympathetically.

“For some, yes. But my sister never let it stop her from loving me or being close. And I believe others would have adjusted, had I stayed.”

“But you didn’t?”

Piotr shook his head. “No. A few days later, Professor Xavier sought me out. Something had happened to his students, and he needed help to retrieve them. So he found me and a few others; I will leave the full story of that for another time. But when I tried to return to the farm after that first mission, things had changed. I was no longer welcome. So I returned to the States and became a regular member of the X-Men. On missions, I am called Colossus.”

Skye nodded. “I’ve seen a few reports from within SHIELD on the activities of the X-Men. I don’t know the details of any of the missions, but I know that your people do the best they can to protect others from hatred and bigotry. SHIELD is much the same way, just for different reasons.”

“I am just happy that you are not disturbed by my power. When I did not meet my soulmate among others here, I was afraid I might have a soulmate who would not understand.”

“Well, now you don’t have to worry,” Skye assured him. She scooted a little closer and tugged his arm around her shoulders. “Even if we’d met before I gained my powers, I still would have been okay with yours. Everything I’ve seen and learned about you tells me that you’d never use your power to hurt me. And my life experience has taught me that people don’t need powers to hurt each other.”

“And you’ve been hurt before,” Piotr said softly. At her urging he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in. He smiled as she snuggled close, almost but not quite in his lap. He just held her gently, letting her get comfortable.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “I mentioned earlier that while I was in the foster system, I never stayed in one place for long. I found out a while ago that the reason I moved so much was because the SHIELD Agents who found me wanted to protect me. They put in place an invisible protocol that kept me moving, hoping that it would keep whomever killed those people in China from finding me. But as a kid, all I knew was that every foster family I stayed with sent me back. Sometimes that was a good thing. Sometimes it hurt. Eventually I tried to stop caring. And that worked, mostly, until I joined SHIELD. Until my team gave me people to care about, who actually cared about me. People who needed me, needed my skills.”

“And everything was wonderful, until one of them betrayed you,” Piotr said knowingly, his tone sympathetic.

“How did you know?”

“It was obvious. We know something of the finding of Hydra within SHIELD, and the pain in your eyes is too strong to be over childhood hurts.”

Skye sighed and snuggled closer, taking comfort in his closeness and obvious concern. “Ward was my SO - that’s supervising officer - and trainer for the early stages of becoming an agent. I trusted him; I even thought that maybe I could love him. I knew he wasn’t my soulmate, but there was a part of me that didn’t really believe in fate or destiny. Just because I have a soulmate didn’t mean I’d ever find him, and I didn’t want to be alone forever...”

“Hush, Скай,” Piotr cut off her rambling and bent down to give her a gentle kiss. “I understand.” And he did. He felt a pang of regret that she hadn’t waited for him, but he had gone through a similar phase at one point of just wanting acceptance and to know someone cared.

She looked up at him when their lips parted. “That almost sounded like my name...”

Piotr chuckled. “It is, just in Russian. If you do not like it...”

Skye shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I call people by nicknames all the time, and it’s close enough that I won’t even have to remember to answer to it.”

“I am sorry that this friend you trusted betrayed you,” Piotr said softly. When Skye shivered, he pulled her into his lap and felt her relax against his broad chest.

“It’s not your fault, Piotr,” she said quickly. “It turned out that he was part of Hydra, sent undercover on our team for various reasons. But he kept coming after me. I think he convinced himself that he loved me, that I should be with him. So he kept trying to get close to me. He even teamed up with my biological father, trying to get me to fulfil some kind of crazy destiny thing. That’s how I found out about the Diviner, my mother and the rest of that mess. Ward kept trying to convince me that he was helping me, that it was for my own good. Even shooting him in the side when I got the chance hasn’t deterred him; God, I should’ve just killed him when I had the chance. But I couldn’t. I don’t want him dead, I just want him to leave me alone!”

“He will be angry, then, that you and I have found each other?”

Skye rolled her eyes. “Livid, most likely. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to kill you.”

“Then it is good that I am not so easy to kill,” Piotr said. “I will not let him frighten me away from you, Скай. This I promise you.”

“I’m glad,” Skye answered quietly, making herself comfortable on his warm chest. She curled one arm around him as much as she could; her other arm rested atop his where he held her so carefully. With any other man she might have insisted that she wasn’t so fragile, but for a man like him she probably was. Besides, it was nice to know that he was considerate with his strength.

The silence stretched out between them for a while, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was more a silence that spoke volumes without words, allowing them time to think about what they had shared with each other. In recent months, Skye had grown to appreciate a comfortable silence. And so they let it grow between them, understanding that this was their new beginning. 

* * *

 

Over the next few days, Skye was introduced to life at the school and the people who lived there. She discovered that most of the X-Men were also teachers, and that the school did teach regular subjects as well as tutoring individual students in control of their powers. She was amused to watch gym class sports that modified rules to allow the use of powers and listened intently as one of the students Skye had rescued – Jeanne, specifically – explained how they balanced relative powers on the different teams; a difficult challenge, given that only a few of the students had overlapping skill sets.

“So they never put my brother and I on the same team,” Jeanne said, a little wistfully. “Because he and I have almost the same powers, so we help with the overall balance. And it’s fun, because we usually wind up competing with each other. Though sometimes I wish we could play on the same team.”

Skye nodded sympathetically, and listened to the rest of the explanation.

She also learned that there were several soul bonds among the school’s residents; both students and teachers. Jean’s soulmate was one Scott Summers, a man that Skye found too serious for her taste most of the time. But she watched him soften visibly in Jean’s presence and just smiled to herself.

Bobby was an incurable flirt, but a friendly one; once Skye realized that he didn’t really mean anything by it, she got comfortable teasing back. They usually wound up laughing together over something stupid, but it was fun. Bobby’s soulmark was visible, but Skye didn’t ask about it. When it came up, he said that he knew who his other half was but it wasn’t right for them at the moment.

Anna Marie was a rather reserved young woman; Skye learned that her power kept her from touching people’s skin with her own. Skye remembered her first attempts at controlling her power, how afraid she was of hurting someone, and she made an effort to be friends while avoiding accidental contact. They had traded stories of how they came by their powers, and the trauma of those realizations created a bond between the two young women.

Through it all, Piotr seemed happy to see her making friends. He exhibited no jealousy of her friendly banter with Bobby or the time she spent alone with Rogue. He gave her time to herself when she asked, and made himself available when she wanted to spend time with him.

“You don’t mind?” she asked one afternoon, after she’d been visiting for about a week. She told him that Jean, Ororo, Anna Marie and a few others had invited her to join them for an evening of chick flicks and wine. Skye wasn’t sure if she wanted to go or not, but she mentioned it to Piotr.

“Why would I mind?” he asked, genuinely confused. “It makes me happy that you are making friends. I am your soulmate, Скай, not your keeper.”

Skye bit her lip, looking up at him with dark eyes full of uncertainty. He dropped to his knees, bringing him closer to her height and gently pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, hiding her face against his shoulder. “I don’t want you to think I’m avoiding you. I came here to get to know you; I didn’t think that I might be asked to do something that would exclude you.”

“The ladies enjoy getting together without the men from time to time. I’m sure their partners and male friends do the same; in fact, I know they do.” Piotr stroked her hair, soothing her gently. “Being soulbound does not mean we must do everything together. I would imagine that you do not intend to give up your place on your SHIELD team anytime soon. Nor can I see myself leaving the school or my team. We can adapt to being apart, you and I.” Piotr pulled gently back, tipping her face up to look him in the eye. “Go with the ladies. Enjoy your films and your evening. Do not fret so much; if you are happy, I am happy.”

Skye took a deep breath and nodded. “I will. Thank you.” When he smiled, she couldn’t help herself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Slow and deep, exploring him and giving him access to do the same with her. His arms tightened around her, and she pressed against him with a soft moan of pleasure.

Piotr groaned, feeling her soft curves pressed tightly into his body. He lost himself in her kisses for a short time, in the feel of her fingers tangling into his hair and the soft warmth of her skin under his fingers as his hands slipped just a little under the hem of her shirt. But finally he broke away gently, pushing her back just slightly when she would have followed him. Her eyes opened slowly, dark with desire, and met his gaze questioningly.

“We should stop, my Скай,” he murmured to her quietly. “Lest we take steps we are not yet ready for.”

“You don’t want to?” she asked slowly, her tone uncertain and her eyes clouding a little.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “Of course I want to, and not just because of the soulbond. But it is too soon, and I do not wish to rush you.” He smiled and looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to hers. “If I am being honest, I want to wait until you love me,” he admitted in a quiet tone.

Skye blushed a little but smiled shyly. “You may not have to wait long, then,” she confessed in reply. “You’ve made me so welcome, so happy, since I came here. We fit together so well, and you’ve been so kind and understanding about my feelings and past issues. I know, I believe, that I can trust you with my heart...”

“You just need to be sure that it is your heart and not only the bond,” Piotr finished the thought for her. “I understand. And _that_ is why I feel I must stop kissing you before we go too far.”

“You’re amazing,” Skye said by way of agreement. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and then stepped back before she could give in to temptation and capture his lips again.

“Not so much as you,” he demured.

Skye shook her head and smiled. “I disagree. I’ve never known a man who cared more about my feelings and desires than their own. Well, except for Coulson, but he’s kind of the only dad I acknowledge. What you want, the reason you want to wait… it means a lot to me.”

“It means much to me that you understand and agree,” he replied honestly. He pushed to his feet and offered her his hand with a smile. “Shall we go meet the others for dinner?”

She agreed readily, knowing that if they stayed here alone there was a good chance that things would get out of hand.

* * *

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 1000 hits in just the first two chapters! You guys are awesome. Thank you to everyone for reading, leaving comments and kudos! I really appreciate the feedback.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladies' Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to everyone who has left me comments and feedback. The sheer number of hits on this story is amazing, so thank you all!

** Chapter 4 **

“So, how are you enjoying your stay, Skye?” Jean asked pleasantly that night after their second movie ended. There were several empty wine bottles on the floor next to the couch, and three or four more with varying levels of wine left in them on the table. Everyone was relaxed and a little tipsy, but not enough to let their powers out of control.

“It’s been great so far,” Skye answered honestly. “Everyone’s been wonderful. Makes me wish I’d been able to find a place like this when I was a messed up kid. I might never have joined the Rising Tide.”

Ororo’s eyes went wide and Jean’s mouth dropped open for a moment. “You were part of the Rising Tide?” Jean asked when she found her voice.

Skye shrugged. “Yeah. Probably not the best of plans, but you know.”

“But we used some of your data, then,” Ororo told her. “When you were outing companies with unsafe products, things like that.”

“Oh, that was the early stuff,” Skye dismissed those projects with a shrug. “Hacking practice, really. I just figured I might as well do something with what I found.”

“Why did yah need to practice?” Anna Marie asked curiously. “What were yah lookin’ for?”

Skye sipped her wine as she considered her answer. “I was working my way up to hacking SHIELD,” she said at last. “Not so much because of the secrets they were keeping in general, though at the time I was pretty anti-secret. But what I really wanted to find was information on me. I’d tried for years to track down anything about my past or my parents. And the only thing I could find was a single report. A SHIELD report. Redacted.”

Ororo rested a light hand on Skye’s shoulder, and she looked up to see the sympathy on the older woman’s face. “I think everyone in this room has been through something that has made us willing to break the rules just to learn the truth,” Ororo said softly. The others all nodded, reaching out to Skye with comforting touches.

“Thank you,” Skye said, taken aback by the simple acceptance from everyone.

“I’ve never been able to hack SHIELD,” Kitty said after a moment of quiet. “I kind of peeked at it once or twice, but I was pretty sure I couldn’t get in without getting caught so I stopped trying. Maybe you could help me get better?”

Skye laughed. “Well, I’m not going to teach you how to hack my encryption updates. On the other hand, if there’s information from SHIELD that you need you could always ask me and I’ll talk to the Director. But sure, I can teach you how to get into other things.”

“That would be awesome!” Kitty bounced in her seat, excited.

Skye smiled. “I’m glad I came tonight. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of course,” Anna Marie said. She remained snuggled against Skye’s side, both young women shifting to be comfortable without risking skin on skin contact.

Skye looked around the room and found her eyes drawn, not for the first time that evening, to a painting on the wall, near the door. She studied it again, smiling a little. “Whoever decorated in here has good taste,” she commented idly.

Kitty and Anna Marie giggled. “You keep staring at that painting like it means something,” Kitty said. “I’m sure you could get Piotr to tell you about it, if you asked.”

Skye blinked. “Piotr painted that?”

“Of course,” Anna Marie nodded. “He spends a lot of his free time paintin’ and drawin’. Says it helps him relax, and that it’s good to have something to remind us of happy times.”

“I had no idea,” Skye said quietly. “He hasn’t mentioned it yet.”

“I’m sure he will,” Anna Marie said reassuringly. “So tell us, what’s it like bein’ Piotr’s soulmate?”

Skye blushed. “He’s wonderfully sweet,” she said, her tone full of emotion. “It’s been awesome getting to know him better. We’ve talked a lot. I guess I expected him to be harder, more macho. But he’s really not like that at all. He pays attention to the little things; must be that artists’ eye.”

“Listen to her,” Kitty teased. “She could be talking about any guy she’s made friends with. C’mon, Skye. Girls’ Night rule; what we talk about stays between us. So spill!”

Skye laughed. “What do you want to hear? That he’s a great kisser? That he cradles me as if I might break?” She looked around, taking in all the inquisitive expressions. “Oh, god,” she laughed again, blushing scarlet. “I can’t tell you more than that. We’re taking things slow; we haven’t… gone that far.”

Jean and Kitty blinked, but Anna Marie just grinned. “Told ya,” the southern girl said cheekily. “She’s his soulmate; he wasn’t ever gonna rush into that!”

"A lot of people do jump right in when they meet their soulmates," Jean said in a conciliatory tone. "The pull of the bond can be hard to deny."

"It is," Skye agreed. "But we want to know that we can be more than that before we allow the bond to complete." Jean nodded her understanding.

“Would you like to know more?” Kitty offered hesitantly.

Skye blinked at her, startled. “Would I? I hadn’t thought about it, I suppose. Did you..?”

Kitty blushed but nodded. “Yeah, a while back when I first became an official X-Man. It wasn’t ever serious; it was more about being accepted. First and foremost, we were friends. Still are.”

Skye thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I don’t think I want to know. I’m not a virgin either, and I certainly didn’t expect him to be. But I think I want to just let our relationship grow naturally, without any expectations or stories.” Skye shook her head, her eyes lighting with amusement. “Besides, it wouldn’t be fair. If Piotr ever met my exes… well, one would make up stories to try to make him jealous, and the other would probably try to kill him.”

“Good luck on trying to kill him,” Kitty answered, laughing. “He’s pretty much indestructible as far as we know.”

“So I’m told,” Skye agreed. “Besides, Ward wouldn’t be able to tell him anything he didn’t already know. Ward and I never slept together; he’s just obsessed with me.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Anna Marie drawled. “But Colossus can handle himself.” The group laughed, and conversations moved on to other topics. Skye sat back with her wineglass in one hand and Rogue snuggled against her side and just smiled. 

* * *

 

A few days after their girls’ night, Skye woke to the sound of her phone's alert noise. She checked and found a message from Coulson. He asked if she could take the time to locate some information for the team. With a sigh she pushed herself out of bed and threw on some clothes. She headed down to the kitchen, laptop in hand, and started the coffee pot. She set up her laptop and poured a bowl of cereal as the coffee brewed and then settled at the breakfast bar to work.

Skye lost track of time while she worked. That was pretty normal for her; all she really knew was that she had finished her pot of coffee and switched over to juice as she checked all her sources and used her hacking skills to follow the leads she found. What she learned was distressing, but she passed the information along to Coulson; he and May would have to figure out what to do about it.

It was a combination of her intense focus and the knowledge that she was in an absolutely safe environment that kept her from hearing the front door open and close. Not until Piotr had entered the kitchen and she caught his movement out of the corner of her eye did she look up and realize that she wasn’t alone.

Piotr was profoundly disturbed to find Skye in her kitchen, a computer in front of her and traces of tears in her eyes. She was dressed casually in a shirt and jeans, her feet bare and her hair pulled into a messy ponytail. “Скай?” he asked as he moved closer. “Are you alright?”

Rubbing her fingers over her eyes, Skye tried to summon a smile for him. “Yeah, I’m alright. I’ve just been working.”

“I was a little concerned when you missed lunch. But it is nearly dinnertime and when I realized that no one had seen or heard from you all day... I wanted to come make sure you were not hurt,” he explained gently. “You are upset.”

Skye sighed and stood up from her seat. She took the few steps away from her seat and into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his hips and rested her head against his chest. “I was doing some research for Coulson and my team. What I found was… more than a little disturbing. I just wanted to get through it and be finished. But I’m sorry I worried you.”

Piotr wrapped his arms around her and held her close, allowing her take comfort from his presence quietly. He enjoyed the way she relaxed in his arms, the tension draining away and her breath slow and even. So he stood steady, happy to allow her this for as long as she needed. Finally she sighed softly and pulled back.

“Do you have much left to finish?” he asked as he looked down into her eyes.

“No. Just a few more things to check.”

“Good. Then you finish, and I shall make you supper.”

Skye blinked at him. “You cook?”

He nodded his head and smiled. He moved around the counter and began pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator and implements from the drawers and cabinets that stored them. Skye shook herself after watching for a moment and returned to her computer.

A short time later, Skye hit send on her last message to Coulson and closed the cover on her laptop. She had been peripherally aware of the sounds of chopping and the low hiss of a steamer running, but now she looked across the counter to see Piotr standing by the stove. Whatever he was cooking, it smelled amazing.

“Where did you learn how to cook?” she asked curiously.

“When I was young, I would help my mother. But mostly I learned while here at the school. There are times when I have simply not felt like company, and I enjoy cooking for myself while the students are all occupied.”

Skye smiled, easily able to picture him using a kitchen as a place to relax alone. “I understand. I learned to fend for myself when I was a teen, but learning to cook in a fully equipped kitchen was something else entirely. Fortunately for me, AC - Director Coulson, I mean - is an excellent cook and offered to teach me when he realized that I’d never had the chance to learn before.”

“You are quite fond of him; I am glad that you have someone like that in your life, Скай. We all need someone like that at times.”

Skye nodded. “I’m really lucky, I know.” She smiled. “Maybe sometime I can make dinner for you,” she offered after a moment.

“I would be happy to let you, if you wish,” Piotr agreed readily. He went to another cabinet for a couple of plates, and a moment later he set a plate full of food and a set of silverware in front of her. He moved to sit beside her with his own plate.

Skye smiled appreciatively, her eyes taking in the chopped chicken and veggie stir-fry, with a scoop of steamed rice on the side. Her eyes sparkled as she picked up her fork. With her first bite, her eyes closed and she savored the taste. “This is wonderful!”

Piotr smiled as well. “Thank you. I am very pleased that you enjoy it.” He began to eat as well, and conversation shifted to light discussion of various dishes and uses of ingredients. Their talk passed the meal pleasantly and gave Skye the chance to think about something other than her research.

Unsurprisingly, Skye finished first. She’d been really hungry after skipping lunch, but she could only eat so much. So she busied herself cleaning up the kitchen and continuing their conversation as Piotr finished eating. When he was done as well, she rinsed his dishes and put them into the dishwasher and set it to run. “Thank you, Piotr,” she said as she returned to his side.

“For what, my Скай?” he asked softly, studying her expression.

“For everything,” she answered quietly, her eyes dark with emotion. “For coming to check on me. For making me dinner. For staying with me when I need company. For being so understanding, so accepting of me and my mixed up history. For caring enough to be worried about my safety, to want to cheer me up when I’m sad.”

Piotr cut off her rambling by lifting her to sit on the counter and leaning in to catch her mouth in a kiss. Perched where she was, Skye was at the perfect height and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. One kiss became several, long and deep, full of emotion and desire.

When he would have pulled back, Skye clung to him. Holding him close, she looked directly into his eyes. “I’m not good at caring about people, Piotr. I’m not good at expressing it, when I do. Letting people get close to me has almost always wound up getting me hurt. But I don’t want to risk losing you just because I’m afraid. You’re already so wound up in my heart that I couldn’t stand that. I love you, Piotr. Please, please don’t leave me.”

“Never,” he promised her, his voice husky with emotion. He rested his forehead against hers gently. “You are in my heart, as I am in yours. I will not let you go, my Скай; I do not think I could even if I tried. That is what soulbonds are for, to bring people together who will always need each other.”

Tears spilled from eyes alight with joy as she smiled. He wiped them away gently, understanding the emotion behind her tears, and leaned in to kiss her again.

“Come upstairs with me,” she whispered as their lips parted again. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I want our bond to be complete. To be yours and have you as mine. Please?”

Piotr kissed her again, then shifted to slide one arm under her knees while the other supported her back. Wordlessly, he carried her up the stairs.

* * *

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to nod the canon relationship between Shadowcat and Colossus. Hopefully this version made sense to you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smut you've all been waiting for...

** Chapter 5 **

Piotr kissed her again, then shifted to slide one arm under her knees while the other supported her back. Wordlessly, he carried her up the stairs. She leaned down to open the door to her rooms and he kicked it shut after they were inside. They crossed the room in just a few long strides and then Piotr set her on her feet beside the bed. “You are sure about this, Skye?” he asked softly.

“Very sure, Piotr,” she said reassuringly. She pulled her t-shirt off over her head, revealing a light blue sports bra. It wasn’t as sexy as she would have liked, but it’s what she’d grabbed this morning. His expression as he dropped to his knees and pulled her in close was enough to convince her that what she wore didn’t matter to him at the moment.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers into his hair as he nuzzled against her chest, caressing her soft skin with his lips. He trailed kisses along her collarbones and down her sternum until he reached the top of her bra. He looked up at her, and at her nod he slid his fingers around her ribs and along her back to the catch of her bra. He unhooked it and then gently slid the straps off her shoulders and down her arms. “You are so beautiful, Skye,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble as his eyes skimmed over her curves.

Skye smiled. “Thank you,” she answered softly, trying not to blush under his intense gaze. She distracted herself by sliding her hands over his shoulders and down his flanks until she could slip them under the hem of his shirt. She didn’t move to pull it off immediately, just letting the fabric slide over her arms as she traced the planes of muscle with her fingers before ever seeing them with her eyes.

With a groan, Piotr released her long enough to pull off his shirt. Skye’s eyes went wide and her hand lifted to trace over his soulmark; her flowing handwriting followed the curve of muscle on his chest. She smiled a little, glad that the strict instructions from the Sisters at St. Agnes meant that his soulmark was both neat and legible. She leaned in and placed a string of short kisses along the trail of words.

“May I ask where your mark is?” Piotr’s deep voice made Skye shiver. Without a word, she turned around to let him see. His words followed the curve of her left shoulder blade, beginning at her side and arching up towards her spine. She shivered again as his fingers trailed along the words.

“I’m glad we have fairly distinctive soul marks,” Skye said quietly. “A friend of mine has heard her soulmark words several times but hasn’t yet found her match.”

“It does make things simpler, I suppose,” Piotr agreed. He tugged gently on Skye’s hips and she stepped backwards. She leaned back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her. They both gasped softly as their marks came into direct contact and their bond began to build and strengthen. She felt his arms slide over her belly and upwards until his hands cradled her breasts. He hefted their small weight, gently squeezing her sensitive flesh and Skye moaned.

She tipped her head back to rest on his shoulder and just let him touch. While his hands were occupied, she slowly unfastened her jeans and pushed them down off her hips. Piotr moaned in her ear as the denim dropped to the floor. He looked down the length of her body, caught sight of dark green lace covering her sex and inhaled sharply in response.

Skye spared a moment of thought to be grateful to Jemma for refusing to pack any of her more practical panties. She conceded to the sports bra because Skye wasn’t planning to neglect her workouts, but insisted that since Skye didn’t know how her relationship would progress that she should always wear something nice. Though Skye had rolled her eyes at the time, now she was just glad of her friend’s forethought.

“See something you like?” she asked softly, just a hint of teasing in her tone. Somewhere in the part of her mind where the bond registered, she already knew the answer.

“Always,” he assured her in a low voice. “But I do like you in pretty things. I know you are strong, my Скай, but these,” he slid one hand down to trace the edge of the lace curving over her hip, “tell me that you enjoy your feminine side as well.”

“I’m glad you approve,” she answered, her voice contented and nearly purring. She knew the bond allowed him to feel how her body hummed with the pleasure of his touch and she didn’t fight it. She wanted him to know how she felt, wanted the bond to become solid and real so that nothing could ever truly separate them even if they were physically apart.

In one fluid move, Piotr scooped her up and rose to his feet. He took the two steps necessary to lay her gently on the bed and then settled beside her. She rolled to face him immediately and leaned in to kiss him. Their fingers met at his belt and together they worked to remove his jeans. The discarded garment joined hers on the floor.

Her hands roamed over his skin as they continued to kiss, memorizing the feel of his body under her fingers. She shifted her leg to rest on his thigh at his urging, and moaned into their kiss as his fingers found their way between her legs to trace over soft folds through the flimsy barrier of her panties. It was perfect, soft and gentle and exactly what she needed for this first time together. She sensed his understanding through their bond as her pleasure and need registered in his mind, and the upwelling of tenderness she felt in him was almost enough to make her cry.

“Hush, love,” he whispered as their mouths parted. His fingers never stopped their gentle exploration of her sex and his other arm moved to pull her close, cradling her slender form securely in his embrace. “Just let go, let it happen,” he urged her gently. “You are safe here.”

“I know,” she whispered back. She pressed her body tightly against his and clung tightly to him as one large finger pushed aside her panties and slid into her. A moan escaped her before she muffled it by kissing his shoulder.

He chuckled. “There is no one to hear you. You can be as loud as you like.”

She blushed. “I guess I’m used to having neighbors,” she answered quietly. “It’s - oh, God, that feels so _good_ ,” she moaned again. She arched her hips as a second thick finger joined the first and his thumb found her clit, rubbing slow circles. “Oh, yes. Please, Piotr...”

“Anything for you, my Скай,” he answered. He sped up slowly, thrusting his fingers deeper into her wet heat. He leaned back slightly, watching her face. When she bit her lip, he kissed her gently, reminding her that he enjoyed hearing her response. He soothed the abused flesh with his tongue, then backed up again to watch the passage of pleasure across her face. “I want to watch you, to hear your cries and know how you look when you come.” He thrust his fingers faster, rubbed her clit harder as he spoke to her.

Her hips bucked involuntarily against his hand as he pushed her over the edge. Her channel clamped down on his fingers, but he pressed onwards. His eyes took in every nuance in her expression as her head fell back and she cried out in ecstasy. “Yes, love. Just like that,” he encouraged her, his voice low and rough with passion and need. “You’re so fucking gorgeous when you come.”

She shivered as her body came down from its high and she slowly opened her eyes to smile at him. “Mmm. Thank you,” she answered, her tone satisfied. She lifted her hands to his shoulder and pushed; she knew she couldn’t move him unless he let her, but he willingly complied. She whimpered a little as his movement pulled his fingers out of her body, but she just stripped off her panties as he settled on his back. His boxers went next, tossed off the end of the bed carelessly.

Her eyes roamed over his naked body, taking in every gorgeous inch of his well-muscled form. He was built proportionally; as she had pretty much expected, his cock was larger than anyone else she had ever seen. She only smiled in anticipation, refusing to be intimidated because she knew he would never hurt her, and slid her hands up his thighs. She moved to straddle his hips and looked down to watch him moan as his hard length first came into contact with her soft folds.

She paused there for a moment, then sighed softly. She stayed where she was, but she leaned in to kiss him gently. “I suppose this is the point where I have to be responsible,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “Should I get out condoms? Everyone in SHIELD gets regular medical checks, and I have an implant so I can’t get pregnant. I got it back when I became a field agent; it sucks suddenly getting my period while on a mission. With the implant, I could plan for it happening. But that’s not the point.” She paused and smiled at him. “I love you and I know you’d never hurt me. If you tell me we’re safe without other protection, I’ll trust you.”

“I will happily do whatever you need to feel safe, my Скай,” Piotr answered seriously. “We do also have regular team medical exams, and I believe Jean would have told me if I were a risk to anyone. But I will not ask you to do anything you are uncomfortable with.”

Skye shook her head, smiling as she could feel the truth of his words through the bond. “I told you, I trust you,” she said gently. She rocked her hips, her juices slicking his skin. Then she put her hands on his chest, lifted her hips and impaled herself on his cock. They both moaned as her tight sheath slowly took him in.

She wasn’t worried about him being too big for her; Jemma had assured her that soulmates were always sexually compatible. And since Jemma had done research into the subject, Skye trusted her. She just went slowly to give her body time to adapt; the stretch of her body to accommodate him burned in a way that was both pleasure and pain, and she loved every minute of it. When their hips met, she stayed still for a moment longer until the burn began to fade. Piotr could feel her body tense as she struggled to adjust to his size and he held still until she began to relax.

When Skye began to slowly rock her hips, Piotr moaned again. Her little body wrapped so tightly around him already had him on the edge, but he was determined not to come until he could bring her with him. He raised his knees and gently pushed her back to lean against them; she gasped as the change of angle made every little motion rub against her g-spot. Then he slid his hands up her body to pinch and tease her nipples. Skye wasn’t sure how well she’d be able to move in this position and was about to say so when she felt his hips lift and thrust deeply into her body. She cried out in pleasure and gave herself over to him, trusting him to know what he was doing as he moved inside her.

His cries mingled with hers as they both began to feel the other’s pleasure through the soulbond. The sensation was incredible and long before she thought she would be ready, Skye felt herself come apart. Piotr followed just behind her, and she felt his cock pulse within her as he came. He caught her as she slumped, the tension unwinding from her limbs, and he eased her down onto his chest. He cradled her little body against his and closed his eyes to enjoy the feelings of pleasure and love still passing back and forth between them.

Skye let herself drift for a while, afloat on a sea of shared sensation and emotion. She was reflecting on the idea that never again would she be alone when she felt Piotr’s gentle hand cup her face. She looked up at him and let him reel her in for a soft, sweet kiss.

“You will never be alone again, my Скай,” he promised her quietly. “I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.”

“I know,” she whispered back, smiling happily. “Will you stay here with me tonight? Please?”

“I had hoped you would ask,” he answered with a smile of his own. “Of course I will stay.”

“Good.” With a smile, Skye very gently disengaged their bodies. She was a little sore, but pleasantly so. She made her way into the bathroom to clean up a little and wash up for bed. It had been a long and intense day, and she was pleasantly sleepy. When she returned, Piotr took his turn. They settled together in the large bed, Piotr spooned behind her and their soulmarks touched again. Relaxing in his arms, Skye tried and couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so safe. She felt warm and safe and loved, and her last thought before drifting to sleep was that she could very quickly get used to this.

Piotr remained awake after Skye fell asleep. He watched her for a long time, memorizing the look and feel of her in his arms. He silently promised them both that he would always keep her safe. He didn’t know how they would reconcile their work with their separate teams, but he was sure there would be a way.

His Skye would never be left alone again.

* * *

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two chapters left. Still enjoying?


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter 6 **

Piotr and Skye didn’t leave the guest house until noon the next day. They spent the morning together, exploring each other and the bond between them. They even showered together, and Skye discovered that shower sex really could be fun now that she had a partner strong enough to hold her up indefinitely.

Finally clean and dressed, the joined their friends for lunch. Jean took one look at them and smiled brightly. She nudged Scott, and her soulmate turned to look at the approaching couple. It startled Skye to see a bright smile light up Scott Summers’ face, and she dropped into a chair beside Jean. Piotr just took in the grinning couple and sat beside Skye with a nod and a smile for them.

Anna Marie and Kitty openly stared when they caught sight of Skye. When they didn’t stop for a couple of minutes, Skye turned to Jean. “Do I look strange all of a sudden?” she asked quietly.

Jean laughed and shook her head. “Not at all. But you’re… well, kind of glowing. I take it that being soulbound agrees with you?”

“Oh, yes,” Skye answered quietly. “Very much. It’s amazing and wonderful.”

Jean nodded. “I know what you mean.”

“Wow, Skye,” Bobby said when Kitty’s shocked silence got his attention. “You look perfectly delicious today,” he said teasingly. “Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that you look like you _were_ perfectly delicious last night.”

Skye blushed but laughed. “Nah, it’s just the new haircut. You’re seeing things,” she teased back. She had not gotten her hair cut, but she was wearing it down today and it waved gently around her face.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Bobby answered, but didn’t push further. He winked at her and smiled, glad to see her so happy.

“Bobby’s right,” Anna Marie said when she found her voice. “You look wonderful, Skye.” She tried to be happy for her friend, but her voice was tinged with wistfulness.

“Thanks,” Skye said with a soft smile for her friends. She reached across the table to rest her hand on Anna Marie’s arm for a moment, careful to only touch where the skin was covered. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you yesterday; I was working on a project for my team.”

“Anything I can help with?” Kitty offered.

Skye shook her head. “No, I’m done. But if you’d like, this afternoon I can show you some of the tricks I used to do my research.”

Kitty nodded happily. “I’d like that. If I’m not going to be interrupting anything, I mean.”

“It is fine,” Piotr answered with a smile. “I have a project I would like to finish, so I will not be in your way.”

“Oh?” Skye asked curiously. Piotr nodded but didn’t elaborate. “What are you working on?”

“I will show it to you when it is done. Hopefully this evening,” he answered instead, avoiding the question. Kitty and Anna Marie shared a glance and smiled, but didn’t say anything. Skye, feeling Piotr’s wish to surprise her, didn’t ask again. She just smiled and nodded her acceptance.

“Where do you usually work?” Skye asked Kitty instead, allowing the topic of Piotr’s project to drop.

“Down in the computer lab,” Kitty replied easily. She paused for a moment, her eyes unfocusing. When her expression cleared, she continued on. “The Professor says that I can take you down and show you around, if you’d like.”

Skye looked confused for a moment, and Jean leaned over to whisper, “Remember, the Professor talks to us mentally sometimes. Those of us who have been here a long time are used to it and generally keep ourselves open to it.”

“Ah,” Skye said quietly, comprehension dawning. So instead of questioning, she nodded at Kitty. “It would probably be best to practice where you usually work. While some things can be done from just about anywhere, it’s best to use the equipment you’re used to having available.”

“But you were working yesterday from here. Surely you have better resources at SHIELD?”

Skye shrugged. “Sure I do. But I learned how to hack on a laptop I won in a bet, working from my van parked outside a coffee shop with free wi-fi. It’s easier with SHIELD’s fancy computers, but I don’t need them.”

Kitty’s eyes went wide and she looked at Skye with respect verging on awe. Skye blushed again, but shook her head. “Don’t look at me like that, Kitty,” she pleaded softly. “It’s a skill I worked for, sure, but it’s not world-shaking or anything.”

After regarding her seriously for a moment, Kitty nodded. “I can still be impressed, though, can’t I?”

Skye shrugged. “Sure. If that’s what you want,” she agreed amiably. “I’ll teach you what I can, and when you can do it too it won’t seem like such a big deal.”

“Learning to better help my team is always a big deal, Skye,” Kitty answered. “So thank you.”

“No problem.”

* * *

Skye and Kitty spent a fun afternoon in the basement computer labs. Skye appreciated the high-tech equipment and began showing Kitty how to make the most of it. It was hard work for both of them; Skye trying to break down what she did into teachable steps, and Kitty trying to keep up with how quickly Skye could accomplish things. Kitty demonstrated some of the things she could hack, and Skye began walking her through some more advanced techniques. They also discussed the merits and flaws of various types of security, and Kitty tried to rein in her awe of just how much Skye knew.

They rejoined the others for dinner, still talking programs and security. Piotr smiled indulgently and left the two young women to their discussion, just occasionally reminding them that their food was getting cold. Anna Marie tried to follow along for a while, but when she got lost she turned to Bobby and started talking about the upcoming hockey season.

After dinner, Piotr managed to pry Skye away from Kitty by promising that they could ‘play their tech games’ again tomorrow if they wished. Skye grinned at Kitty’s enthusiastic response and wished everyone a good evening as they left the dining hall.

“I’m sorry, love,” Skye said quietly as they walked hand-in-hand down an empty hallway. “I didn’t mean to ignore you. Kitty’s quite good.”

“But not as good as you,” Piotr replied with a smile.

“Well, no, but I had a lot of motivation as well as some natural talent. It’s always come relatively easy to me.”

Piotr nodded. “I understand. It is always pleasant to find someone who shares your passion for something.”

“That’s true,” Skye agreed. “But you _are_ my passion.” She lifted their joined hands to her lips and kissed his wrist lightly; she couldn’t reach his lips without help, so she settled for what she could do while walking. Fortunately, he understood and he paused to lift her. One strong arm looped under her butt, holding her against him so she was nearly sitting on his arm; his other hand came up to cradle her face as he kissed her softly.

He smiled at her when they came up for air. She rested her head against his shoulder and let him hold her as he continued walking to wherever they were going. Skye sighed happily and closed her eyes, cooperating with his desire to surprise her. He set her down outside a door at the end of a long hallway. “Keep your eyes closed, my Скай,” he told her.

She lifted her chin to smile at him, her eyes securely closed. She heard the sounds of a door being unlocked and then he took her hands and led her inside. The first thing she noticed, through her closed eyelids, was the intensity of light in the room. It was very bright and the light felt warm on her skin.

Piotr moved away from her to close the door of the room. Then he walked further away but in the other direction. She heard things moving around for a moment before he returned to her side. He guided her steadily, moving her further into the room and then turned her away from the bright light. “Alright, you may look now.” He sounded nervous and she squeezed his hand reassuringly as she opened her eyes.

Before her, on an easel, sat a gorgeous painting. Skye recognized herself immediately as she took in the image and it only took a moment to remember. Her second day at the school, everyone was in classes and she was at loose ends. So she took a book out onto the grounds and sat in the grass to read. Piotr had found her there just before dinner, and in the painting golden sunlight shone on her hair as she looked up to see him approach, smiling.

“It’s beautiful, Piotr,” she whispered. She reached out, her fingers in the air above the painting, tracing the curve of the tree behind her and almost feeling the breeze that stirred her hair and the grass.

He stepped up behind her and draped his arms over her shoulders, holding her against his body. “That was the day I knew it would be very easy to fall in love with you, Skye,” he told her quietly. “I sketched it that evening, and decided to paint it so I would never forget.”

“You never cease to amaze me, love,” she said as she turned to look at him.

He smiled down at her and tugged her over towards a shelf by the large windows that were the source of the bright light in the room; the evening sun shone perfectly into the room. He carefully picked up a framed piece and handed it to her. “This is for you,” he said as she looked at it. In her hands, she held a framed portrait of Piotr himself. She examined it intently, even flipping it over to see the photograph it was painted from tucked into the back of the frame. “Normally I would not bother to paint myself. But I thought you would like to have something you could take back to SHIELD with you when you must go.”

“It’s perfect,” Skye answered with a smile. “Thank you so much.” She set the painting down and turned towards him with a smile and a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. She jumped, landing her hands on his shoulders, and pulled herself up by her arms. Bemused, he wrapped his arms around her legs as he had earlier, giving her a place to perch as she kissed him deeply. When she drew back, she laughed at the puzzled look he gave her. “That was fun. I did say something about climbing you like a tree, didn’t I?”

Piotr shook his head, laughing with her. “I believe you did,” he agreed, his tone amused. “I believe I also told you that I didn’t mind lifting you up to my height. And you also know that I’m perfectly happy to come down to you as well.”

Skye laughed. “Oh, I know. But I like surprising you once in a while. And I had to be able to say I’d gotten there myself, even if just once.”

“As you wish, my Скай.” He kissed her again before setting her back on the floor. She picked up the small portrait and wandered back over to the painting of herself.

“You really are quite good,” she said softly. “I saw one of your paintings in the media room when I was there with the ladies,” she admitted. “I thought that one was beautiful, too. But I didn’t ask about it, because you didn’t seem ready to tell me about it. This one is better, though.”

“Why do you say that?” he asked, curious. He had forgotten that Jean had hung one of his landscapes in that particular room; there was art hanging all over the school, and only a handful of it was his.

“Because this one has so much feeling in it,” she answered. “I think that even if that wasn’t me and I didn’t already know, I would have looked at that painting and thought that the artist must love her very much.”

“I do,” he agreed quietly.

She tipped her head back to smile up at him. “I know.”

“Would you...” Piotr began, then he hesitated.

“Would I what, love?” she asked gently.

“Would you sit here with me sometime and let me paint you?”

Skye smiled. “Of course. Just let me know when, and I’ll dress up all pretty and stuff.”

Piotr smiled. “You are always beautiful, Skye. But I do think I would enjoy seeing you dressed up for me.”

“I promise,” she assured him. “I think it will be fun.”

* * *

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed this little side-bit into Piotr's art. I hope it helped build a few more depths to his character.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping up this little tale.

** Chapter 7 **

Three days later, Skye was at lunch with everyone again. She and Kitty were discussing hacking plans for the afternoon when Jean interrupted. “Excuse me, ladies. Skye, the Professor has asked if you can please join him in his office.”

“Sure,” Skye agreed. She set her fork down, glad that she was mostly done anyway. “Do you know what he wants?”

“I can ask,” Jean said. Skye watched, but Jean didn’t show any of the signs she’d seen in Kitty when the Professor spoke to her mind. But then Skye remembered that Jean had a degree of the ability as well, so perhaps it wasn’t so evident in her. “He says Director Coulson is on the line.”

“Oh!” Skye was surprised, but she got to her feet quickly. “Come on,” she said, tugging gently on Piotr’s hand. “I’d like you to meet him. Well, as best you can from this distance anyway.”

Piotr glanced at Jean, who just nodded. So he stood as well and followed Skye out of the dining room. Skye almost bounced down the hallway, excited to have a chance to introduce her almost-father to her soulmate. It was better than worrying about why he was calling. Especially since it had only been a few days since her research project.

When they arrived, Skye knocked politely on the door to the Professor’s office. “Piotr, Skye… please come in,” she heard him say. Piotr beat her to the door and he held it open for her. She smiled her thanks as they entered the office. Skye looked around curiously.

The office had an antique-looking wooden desk positioned in front of a bank of windows. The room was lined in bookshelves, with a break on one wall for a fireplace. Two couches and several chairs formed a seating area. On the wall opposite the fireplace was a large screen, on which Skye could see Coulson and his office, with May in the background.

“Hey, AC,” Skye greeted her boss pleasantly. She smiled at his image on the screen and then met May’s eyes, nodding at her SO. “I’m sure you called for official reasons and stuff, but before we get all involved in that I’d like to introduce you to my soulmate.” She reached back and found Piotr’s hand, pulling him to her side. “This is Piotr Rasputin. Piotr,” she continued, looking up at him for a moment. “This is Director Phil Coulson and Agent Melinda May.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Director, Agent.” Piotr nodded politely as he spoke.

“Likewise, Mr. Rasputin,” Coulson said pleasantly. “You both look quite happy, so I won’t ask how being bonded is working for you.”

Skye snickered. “I don’t think you wanna know more than that, AC. We’re doing good.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to find a way to threaten him with harm if he hurts you.”

“I promise you, I would never do anything to harm her, Director,” Piotr said solemnly.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Coulson said, meeting Piotr’s eyes for a moment. “But that’s not why I called.”

“Right,” Skye agreed. “So what’s up?”

“I’m sure you know that May and I have been discussing setting up a new base, now that SHIELD is strengthening again,” Coulson began, and Skye nodded. She’d been doing research on possible sites on and off while she had time. “Under the circumstances, we’ve decided to set up a location in New York. Someplace relatively rural, but with easy access to both the X-Men and the Avengers. Think of it as a liaison branch rather than a fully active base. And we’d like to put you in charge of it, Skye.”

Skye stared at Coulson for a moment, shocked. “Me? You want me in charge of a liaison office? But sir, I’m not nearly diplomatic enough for that.”

“On the contrary, Skye,” Professor Xavier broken in gently. “We think you’d be perfect for it. You already are forming connections with my team.”

“And neither Stark nor Rogers has the patience for diplomatic maneuvering. They’re much more straightforward. I think you’ll do fine, Skye,” Coulson assured her.

“How do we even get in touch with the Avengers? Don’t they still think we’re a tiny underground group?” Skye deliberately didn’t ask if they still thought Coulson was dead; she knew they did.

“I can put you in touch with Maria Hill,” May spoke up. “She works for SI now, and she can vouch for you both as being with SHIELD as well as you having the authority to coordinate with them.”

Skye was quiet for a few moments, thinking over the proposition. “How much of this is because you think you need a way to keep me with the team?” she asked softly.

“Only a little,” Coulson said honestly. “We’ve been thinking about something like this for a while; while it’s true that our relationship with the X-Men in the past has been more of an agreement to stay out of each other’s way, it will help for everyone to have a point of contact. And you know how the Avengers can be.”

Skye snorted and nodded. “Sure. And you want me because..?”

“Because you really are the best person for the job. You have a power of your own, so people with powers will feel more comfortable trusting you, and you can relate to how they feel about people knowing their identities. You weren’t part of the old SHIELD long enough for anyone to wonder if you could have been Hydra. And you’re very good at making people _like_ you, Skye.” Coulson smiled.

With a small smile of her own, Skye nodded a little. “Well, I guess all I can do is try. Who were you planning on sending with me? Or would you rather discuss details later?”

“It hasn’t been fully decided yet,” Coulson told her. “We thought you’d like to have some input on that, since they’ll basically be your team. We would like to send some of the non-field agents; if you have no objections, we’d probably move some of the R&D staff to your location.”

“So, where do we go from here?” Skye asked.

“I’ll send you the details on a couple of locations we’re considering. You could meet me and we could look them over.”

Skye nodded. “That could work. Would it be alright if..?”

Coulson smiled. “I’m not about to ask you to leave your soulmate behind. If he wants to join you and the school can spare him, he’s welcome.”

“We’ll discuss it on this end,” Skye agreed, relieved.

“As long as there are no objections on that end, we figured you’d like to stay where you are until your new location is set up,” Coulson added, not quite asking the question.

“Skye is always welcome here,” the Professor spoke up. “I’m sure we’ll be happy to have her stay until your team is ready to move.” He turned from the video screen to Skye, and she met his eyes steadily. “And if you would like to visit when work allows, Skye, we will be happy to accommodate you.”

“Thank you,” Skye said softly to both men. “I’ll check out that information, AC, and we’ll work out the details.”

“Not a problem,” Coulson answered. “We’ll be in touch.”

Skye nodded and waited quietly as Coulson and the Professor wrapped up the call. When the video shut off, Skye leaned heavily on Piotr. “I’m not entirely sure what I just got myself into…”

Piotr wrapped his arms around her supportively. “Nothing for which you are unqualified, I am sure,” he told her, his voice confident. “They are correct, you have already bonded with many of our people and I have every confidence you can do the same with any group of people you choose.”

Skye shook her head. “I’m not a leader, Piotr. Sure, I can get along with people. But I’m not sure that qualifies me to be in charge of a team, even if it’s mostly not field agents. I’ve only been a field agent for a relatively short time.”

“But you have plenty of people if you need assistance, Skye,” the Professor said as he rolled his chair over beside her. “Leadership takes experience, it’s true, but if you ever have questions or just need someone to listen I would be happy to help. As, I’m sure, would Coulson and May. Plus you’ll be working most likely with Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark, and the Captain is generally a helpful and congenial sort.”

Skye sighed. “I have a feeling I’m going to need all the help I can get. But thank you.”

“Professor?” Piotr asked quietly. The two men exchanged a look and Skye had the feeling that words were being exchanged that she wasn’t hearing. When the Professor nodded, Piotr returned his attention to her. He knelt down at her side, the better able to look into her eyes. “Your base will be close enough that we can help here as needed, or that help can get to us just as easily. If you would have me, I will accompany you,” he offered.

“You would do that for me?” she whispered.

“Of course. We will both still be part of our respective teams. It is no different from those among the X-Men who do not live at the school; as long as I can return when needed, I will be content. And nothing would make me happier than to be with you, my Скай.”

In response, Skye threw her arms around Piotr’s neck and kissed him soundly. When she pulled back to look at him, there were tears in her eyes. “With you by my side, I can do anything,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

* * *

 

It took two months for Coulson, Skye and Piotr to get the new base set up. Ultimately, once Skye had made contact with Maria Hill and then the Avengers, SI had helped fund the building of the facility. There were permanent residence quarters for the live-in agents, as well as guest quarters for those passing through. A state of the art research lab had Simmons, Fitz and Mack in seventh heaven. Skye had an office and computer lab to herself, with an adjacent meeting room that made use of Stark’s holo-projection technology and was capable of video conferencing with both the Avengers and the X-Men, as well as with SHIELD HQ. Coulson was still unwilling to admit to the Avengers that he was alive, but Skye was working on that.

Skye found her new role both challenging and fulfilling. She was quickly forming friendships with the more open of the Avengers - Thor, Stark, Sam and Steve were fairly easy for her. Barnes, Barton and Romanoff were more stand-offish, but there were some tentative relationships forming even with the suspicious spies. Dr. Banner was frequently on conference with Simmons, and Skye just smiled as she listened to them bouncing ideas back and forth while she worked in her office.

They’d been working from the base for two months when a knock at the conference room door interrupted Skye’s call with the X-Men and the Avengers. Coulson and May were visiting, and Coulson was listening in on the call from Skye’s office. Skye’s team were mostly in the conference room with her, so she wasn’t sure who would be knocking.

“One moment please, everyone,” she said to the group. “Come in!” she called out.

Piotr came into the room slowly, moving to Skye’s side. Skye always invited him to these conferences, and often he did join her so she was unsure what was going on.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked the group in general.

“Not at all,” Steve said through the video screen. “We were just wrapping up.”

Piotr nodded. “Then perhaps you will all give me a moment.” Without waiting for an answer, he dropped to one knee beside Skye’s chair. Her eyes went wide as he presented her with a small box. “You are my soulmate and my love, Skye. Would you do me the honor of being my wife as well?”

Skye’s eyes went wide, and she ignored the excited shouts and wolf-whistles in favor of staring at her soulmate. Then she smiled brightly, her eyes shining. “Yes, Piotr. A thousand times, yes.” She threw herself into his arms and he caught her, holding tightly. More cheers echoed around their room and across two more conference rooms as their teammates and friends whistled and yelled.

Piotr opened the box and pulled out a ring; a small blue diamond nestled between a pair of golden topazes sparkled up at her, immediately reminding Skye of the light shining on her hair in the painting Piotr had made of her. Skye held out her hand and let him slide it onto her finger; Anna Marie immediately demanded that she hold her hand up to the video camera so everyone could see and Skye complied.

The meeting was generally disrupted as congratulations and well-wishes were passed around the room. “This calls for a party,” Tony said from his end. “I think you should all come here; the Tower has a huge ballroom.”

“Oh, Tony, I’d love to but...”

“But nothing, Skye,” May broke in. “You think I can’t run this base for a few days while you’re gone?” She raised an eyebrow, daring Skye to dispute her.

“Well, if you put it that way...”

“The school is on break next week,” the Professor said mildly. “Is that sufficient time to plan?”

Realizing that she wasn’t going to be allowed to refuse, Skye let the party planning go on around her. Instead, she turned back to her soulmate. Seeing the look in her eyes, he scooped her up into his arms without being asked.

“You’ve made me the happiest man in the world,” he whispered to her.

“That’s good,” she whispered back. “Because I’m the happiest woman.” She leaned in and kissed him, long and sweet and perfect. She knew it wouldn’t always be perfect; their world wasn’t made that way. But they were happy. It wasn’t what she had expected from her life, but it was more than she had ever wished for.

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's satisfied. I'm sure Skye and Piotr are! Thank you for taking this ride with me. I've really appreciated all the support you've given me along the way!


End file.
